South Sister, Wanderings on an Oregon Volcano

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South Sister, Wanderings on an Oregon Volcano by David Stockton

I was lucky enough to have a friend show me a copy of this charming book, spiral bound and reproducing the fine drawings and hand printed text of David Stockton. This little book conveys the independent spirit of those who seek the high places on this planet and is truly a depiction of the joy of traditional mountaineering.

David's original edition reproduces the light blue lines of his spiral note book. The drawings and text are flawless, yet they give one a feeling of sharing David's most personal thoughts surrounding his many climbs 5,000 feet up a non-technical but physically and mentally demanding wilderness mountain, to the 10,358 foot summit.

I respect his views about climbing alone; I hope to introduce him to a new route on South Sister next summer. I share his view that the Northwest Forrest Pass is unfair and that Congress should fund trails as they have always done in the past. The wild recreation confirmed in the Wilderness Act should not be "prostituted into theme parks where you must now pay to get in". I agree with David that Bend Oregon is a wonderful place to live.

This inexpensive soft-cover book belongs in the library of every Traditional Mountaineer. You can get a copy at the Paulina Springs Book Co. in Sisters, The Book Barn, the Oregon Store in the Bend River Mall, Central Oregon Welcome Center and Mountain Supply. If you live far away, send a $10 donation to TraditionalMountaineering and we will mail a copy to you, postage paid.
--Bob Speik

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Local author finds his muse while 'Wandering on an Oregon Volcano'
By Jim Witty
The Bulletin

"South Sister: Wanderings on an Oregon Volcano" is about David Stockton's love affair with a mountain.

Stockton, who has lived in Bend since 1993, has climbed South Sister numerous times and clearly has a deep appreciation for the 10,358-foot peak and the Central Oregon Cascades.

His is not a climbing guide.

Rather, Stockton includes some route information along with his own story, beginning with a childhood encounter with the mountain in a photo book (by Central Oregon photographer Ray Atkeson) to summers spent climbing and exploring it.

At 39 pages, it's a brief, informative and nicely written paean to the most courted of the three sisters. It's so personal that the soft cover is painstakingly hand written in Stockton's meticulous penmanship.

"Handwriting is kind of a lost art," said Stockton. "Anyone can go on a word processor. I wanted to do something with my own hand"

The slight volume includes a chapter on the ritual of climbing South Sister, a geologic overview of the mountain, a look at its cultural history, his first encounter, wanderings and a glimpse of South Sister's volcanic underpinnings.

"I probably will never find adequate words to convince the skeptics that my ascents of this volcano are logical or even worthwhile," Stockton writes. "More importantly, I have no interest in trying. All I can say is that climbing South Sister is a vital ritual in my life, and is an integral part of my raison d'etre. Criticize it, if you like, question it if you must, but it is something I will continue to do for as long as I have the strength. Because it is there. And because it sets me apart."

Stockton is a climber and a medical transcriptionist. He lives in Bend with his wife, Kathryn, and son, Brandon.

"South Sister" is available at the Book Barn, the Central Oregon Welcome Center, Paulina Springs Book Company in Sisters, Mountain Supply and at www.traditionalmountaineering.org. It retails for $6.

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bibliography of mountaineering books

Freedom of the Hills, 7th edition